Three Traits You May Develop (or Lose) as a Caregiver for Mom

Caregivers in Mount Airy PA: Three Traits You May Develop (or Lose) as a Caregiver for Mom

Taking care of a family member may be necessary at some point in time. We’re not talking about children. Children are a parent’s responsibility. We’re talking about adults who may be dealing with health situations, the natural process of aging, and more. When you are a family caregiver for an elderly loved one, you will probably experience a tremendous amount of stress at some point in your life.

You may also develop certain characteristics, or lose certain traits that you enjoyed about yourself. Here are a few things that can change in your life as a family caregiver.

Your level of patience.

When you are normally an even keeled person, somebody who never rarely loses their cool, it can feel good. You can be through the most trying situations, the most difficult circumstances, and remain positive, calm, and cool under pressure.

However, lately you’ve been noticing a change in yourself. You’re losing your temper. You snapped at the cashier because something wouldn’t ring up at the right price. That’s not normal behavior for you.

Maybe you got mad when somebody cut you off on the road, but usually you just let it go, slow down, and deal with it because you know there’s no point in raising your voice, especially if they’re not going to hear you.

When you begin losing your temper, think about the stress you’re experiencing in life as a family caregiver. You may see the correlation quite quickly.

Time management.

Maybe you’re not the best person with time management. However, since this other person, maybe it’s your mother, father, or other loved one, has been relying on you for help, you’ve had to sit down and work out a schedule throughout the day. Suddenly you are improving with your time management. However, you’re also beginning to realize there are certain things you really want to get done during the day that you simply don’t have the time anymore to do them.

Empathy.

Many people can be empathetic, but lately you’ve been really getting a good understanding about the challenges this other family member has been facing. It’s changing your perspective of other elderly individuals as well. Now you’re being more patient with those who take longer to get through a door, to walk up and down the stairs, or to perform other tasks.

Some of the changes you experience as a family caregiver can be wonderful, but a lot of them, especially related to stress, can affect your life in ways you might not expect. When you feel overwhelmed, realize that home care support services can help.